Caloric deficit

vzarah
vzarah Posts: 5
in Health and Weight Loss
I need help understanding exactly how the deficit works. Once I put my information into the app it let me know how many calories I need to consume a day in order to lose the weight to get me at my desired size. It stated that I need to consume 1410 calories per day in order to get at my goal weight by losing two pounds per week. So to understand this clearly I am to consume a maximum of the 1410 calories or am I too do a deficit of that amount? Of course times when I exercise and I put that in it then increases my calorie intake for the day to somewhere around 2,000 calories. Times where I may show a positive number of around 300- 400 calories at the end of the day I've been get a warning message that I'm not eating enough. Am I making sense? Lol can someone help me?

Replies

  • shabaity
    shabaity Posts: 792 Member
    Ok its giving a total to eat to as you add exercise mostly cardio it adds back extra calories to eat this being said it tends to over estimate so I'd eat about half of what I log. And If eat below 1200 in a day you get that message.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    300 - 400 calories a day is definitely not enough! Ideally your net would be 1410 at the end of the day. Just be sure you're logging everything accurately. If your exercise calories seem inflated it would be okay to not eat them ALL back - but I'd suggest at least half.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    The 1410 calories would include the deficit, so you eat all those calories and you should hit target, but bear in mind its not exact, weight loss isnt linear and it depends on accurate recording, weiging and most people underestimate, thereby eating more than they think. the best investment most people seem to suggest are some kitchen scales.

    Exercise calories are tricky, its felt that for several activities MFP overestimates.
    Some people do not eat back those calories, some people eat back a % of them. See how it goes.

    Is the 300-400 calories still not eaten due to exercise? Id say its your choice how much of those to eat back, but I would eat all your 1410. I dont think uoi are saying you are eating only 300-400 calories, which would be bonkers?
  • sodakat
    sodakat Posts: 1,126 Member
    OP, you may not want to tell the app that you want to lose 2 pounds a week. It appears from your profile that you only have 10 pounds to lose. If you change to 1 pound a week or 1/2 pound a week loss goal, you will be able to eat way more than 1410 calories and still lose weight.

    And yes each day you exercise you "earn" more calories. So 1410 would be the minimum you would ever eat.
  • vzarah
    vzarah Posts: 5
    Oh no! Not saying I only eat 300-400. After I have carefully entered everything I've eaten, it shows I still have that many left to consume. And when I exercise and add that, the number increases. So it's like I have to force myself to eat more so that I'm not waaayyyyy below the 1410. My current goal is not to drop a tremendous amount of weight. I'm really wanting to drop a few and tone what I have. I just don't know what's a healthy deficit.
  • vzarah
    vzarah Posts: 5
    OP, you may not want to tell the app that you want to lose 2 pounds a week. It appears from your profile that you only have 10 pounds to lose. If you change to 1 pound a week or 1/2 pound a week loss goal, you will be able to eat way more than 1410 calories and still lose weight.

    And yes each day you exercise you "earn" more calories. So 1410 would be the minimum you would ever eat.

    In my case, I have to work a little harder since I have PCOS. It's rare I only consume 1410 once I factor in the exercising. I assumed that if I burned 700 exercising I needed to consume a good part of that as well. But I've been eating better also so I'm sick of beong told I'm consuming too few calories at the end of logging entries.
  • 365andstillalive
    365andstillalive Posts: 663 Member
    If you only have 10 pounds to lose, a healthy deficit would be 150-250 calories a day. So if you know your TDEE, eat marginally below that. The closer you are to a healthy weight for your body, the harder it is to lose, and the longer you need to give your body to healthily and sustainably do it.
  • vzarah
    vzarah Posts: 5
    If you only have 10 pounds to lose, a healthy deficit would be 150-250 calories a day. So if you know your TDEE, eat marginally below that. The closer you are to a healthy weight for your body, the harder it is to lose, and the longer you need to give your body to healthily and sustainably do it.
    I let a website calculate my TDEE and it was 2700. But MFP said it should be 1410. Big difference. So stick with 1410, right?
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
    If you only have 10 pounds to lose, a healthy deficit would be 150-250 calories a day. So if you know your TDEE, eat marginally below that. The closer you are to a healthy weight for your body, the harder it is to lose, and the longer you need to give your body to healthily and sustainably do it.
    I let a website calculate my TDEE and it was 2700. But MFP said it should be 1410. Big difference. So stick with 1410, right?

    Actually MFP would be 1410 + 1000(deficit)= 2410 Total daily expenditure. Not that big a difference

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